Sport unites people

A summer peace camp brought together young people from different communities within Lurgan to explore the meaning of faith, shared space and community relations.

The Lurgan Town Project aims to serve the young people of Lurgan in a connected way by building collaboration and developing relations for maximum community benefit.

As part of the camp activity, the planning group designed a ‘Cultural-Sports Day’ which offered participants the chance to engage in sports generally associated with a different community.

Ulster Rugby and their community development team provided an excellent experience for the young people, in delivering an all-round coaching experience.

Led by Ulster Rugby’s Fitness Development Officer, Paul Heasley, the young people were put through their paces with original training techniques and encouraged towards togetherness and teamwork through collaborative games, with a final mini-match to create a sense of shared success.

The Gaelic Athletic Association provided an equally impressive opportunity for the young people to develop their skills.

Through post-camp evaluation, these Cultural-Sports sessions were highlighted as invaluable, allowing participants to enjoy a sport which they may never have experienced. The sessions broke down barriers of division and promoted togetherness through sport.

This project was made possible due to the generous support of the NI Executive and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure through the ‘Promoting Equality, Tackling Poverty and Social Exclusion through Sport’ programme.